Australia's Justice Minister defends gun control efforts

TONY EASTLEY: According to Tony Abbott Sydneysiders this morning not only face peak hour traffic but a reign of terror on the streets because of the illegal importation of hundreds of handguns from Europe and he puts it down to the Federal Government's lack of border control. The Opposition Leader says it can all be sheeted home to the Government.

On Tuesday police and other Federal and state authorities arrested alleged members of a gun smuggling syndicate who'd posted weapons through the mail.

As Brendan Trembath reports it's difficult to determine the extent of the illegal gun trade because many weapons are not smuggled in but are produced locally.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: With more than 80 drive-by shootings in Sydney in the last 12 months police are under pressure to get illicit guns off the streets.

The Federal Justice Minister Jason Clare says Tuesday's arrests of reputed members of a gun smuggling group show gun control efforts are working.

JASON CLARE: The New South Wales Police worked with customs, worked with the Federal Police and worked with the Crime Commission to interrupt an international gun syndicate and stop guns getting on the streets of Australia.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Police allege that the syndicate imported more than 200 Glock pistols from Germany.

The Justice Minister dismisses criticism from state and federal Liberal leaders who say the Federal Government should improve cargo screening.

JASON CLARE: About 100,000 containers get screened every year. That's on top of 20 million international mail parcels and about 40 million letters.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service says screening isn't done randomly; it's done in a methodical and targeted way. And it's getting results.

But people familiar with the illegal gun trade say illegal firearms still get through.

PHILIP ALPERS: We know there's been what's called an ant trade of one gun here, two guns there, three guns here - a lot of them in parts, disassembled guns smuggled in through the mail, largely from the United States.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Philip Alpers is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Sydney.

He still sees Tuesday's arrests across Sydney as significant.

PHILIP ALPERS: This is the first published evidence of a sizeable batch of smuggled guns coming into Australia since the 1980s.

PHILIP ALPERS: At least 1,500 guns are stolen from licensed sporting shooters in Australia every year.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: But the Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia says many of the guns criminals use come from what's known as the grey market.

Tim Bannister:

TIM BANNISTER: It's only a matter of decades that firearms were registered so of course there was a large number of firearms in Australia beforehand. And if you suddenly impose registration, well not all of them will be captured by that registration system.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: It's believed that some of the illicit guns in Australia are manufactured locally.

TIM BANNISTER: They can be made - they can be made from imported parts or manufactured - totally illegally of course but that can be done.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: There are four million registered firearms in Australia according to the Federal Government.

TONY EASTLEY: That's Brendan Trembath reporting.

The Australian Federal Police declined to make anyone available for an interview to discuss efforts to keep illegal guns out of the country.

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Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.